A surfer’s guide to Biarritz
Want to know where to find the breaks, learn your first moves or just sink a few beers in Europe’s surf capital? We gathered the local lowdown from three surfers who know the territory
words by Piers Moore Ede
It was 1957 when Peter Viertel, an American film producer, brought the ancient sport of surfing to France. In Biarritz to make the movie of Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, he couldn’t help but notice the perfect swell lines forming off the town beach. As the legend has it, Viertel immediately sent to California for his board and in the process changed the history of the resort town.
After Viertel’s discovery, surfers were quick to scout out the many surfable waves around Biarritz: from the mouth of the Gironde river to south of the Landes region. Fifty years on, Biarritz is the undisputed European capital of surf. Whether it’s slow wavelets for beginners or monstrous offshore reefs for the pros, the area has something for everyone. Here Sterling asks three surfers where to head when you’re in town with your board.
Biarritz harbour by night; Parliamentia beach at Guéthary; Biarritz draws top surfers like Aussie Nick Fanning, who won the Quicksilver Pro France here last year
Cristopher Reinhardt
Owner of the Ecole de Surf + big wave rider
My father, Bruno Reinhardt, was one of the first six or seven Biarritz locals who started surfing back in 1957. Like me, he was a big wave surfer and was quite a celebrity here before he died. He taught me to surf when I was about four years old, so for many years I was lucky enough to go surfing here with very uncrowded waves.
On a really big swell the best waves can be found at Guéthary, south of Biarritz and between the small villages of Bidart and St Jean de Luz. From Guéthary there is a big channel north of the harbour with two waves, one of which is called called Avalanche. Up to 20ft waves can be seen here, triple overhead, and in those conditions almost no one goes out! But 10ft to 15ft waves occur quite often in winter, and 8ft or 10ft ones are even more frequent. We’re very lucky here – this place attracts some of the best surfers in the world.
One of the things I love about this area of France is the food. In Guéthary there is a deservedly famous restaurant called Heteroclito, where they have modern French fusion food such as marinated tuna, and there’s an ocean view. In Bidart there is also a great place on the beach in front of the waves called La Tantina de la Playa, which has good traditional Basque dishes.
If I could give a tip to visitors, I’d say try not to come here in July or August because it’s so busy. If you come in May or October, you’ll get good weather, fewer crowds and the surf schools will probably be able to give you much better attention. The water’s really never that cold here, except maybe from Christmas to about March. At other times a 3/2mm wetsuit should be fine, or maybe a 4/3 in autumn. Booties are always worth bringing if you’re surfing reefs.
Thomas Fink
Danish travel journalist + keen longboarder
Although I’m from Denmark, I’ve been going to Biarritz for years and it really is one of my favourite surfing destinations. Both my girlfriend and I are longboarders. She likes it better here in summer when the waves are smaller and she can lie on the beach and get a tan. But I actually prefer to come here during the low pressure season. From September till about November you can get the best of both worlds because the water is still warm and the weather systems are good.
A very famous break for longboarding is at the Côte des Basques beach – a right hand point break from which you can see the castle. It doesn’t hold the really big swells but it peels [breaks] really nicely and gets wind protection from the headland. It’s actually the break where surfing started in France, so there’s a lot of history there, and it’s also right in the centre of town. Afterwards you can have a beer at a place called Le Surfing, just on the edge of the beach. It has a great view of the action as well as one of the best 
collections of old surboards.
As with any surf spot, there are going to be lulls. But the cool thing in Biarritz is that when the wind’s onshore and you have to take a rest, there’s a lot of culture. Sometimes we drive to Bordeaux, which is a couple of hours away by car, and visit the vineyards for wine tastings.
Tips for visitors? Well, unless you really know what you’re doing I would recommend going to a surf school, at least for a brief introduction for three hours. There, you’ll be introduced to basic technique, safety, and how to act in and out of the water. It’s best to bring your own board on the plane if you have one as renting is usually expensive [see the ‘Taking your surfboard’ box, page 54]. Finally, be nice to the locals – it never hurts to say bonjour once you’ve paddled out into the lineup!
Ryanout Vlaanderen
Local surfer + works for Quiksilver
I’ve been here 20 years now and have seen a lot of changes. Surfing has gone from a sort of underground community to the mainstream, bringing foreigners from all over. But we have so many spots here that you can still find some uncrowded breaks. There’s a whole stretch between Bayonne and Hossegor [north of Biarritz] where I regularly surf with only two or three other people out in the water. And in winter, when the waves are huge in places, you just go south to somewhere like Hendaye where you can find smaller, manageable waves. There’s something for everyone: shortboard, longboard, body boarder, big or small breaks.
Biarritz is one of my favourite towns because it has historic value – it was a holiday spot for European royalty in the 19th century. It has a lot of old buildings and very chic, beautiful places. I’d recommend it to all rounders: people who want to surf but also do other stuff. If you’re only here for the surfing, Hossegor is actually the place. There’s nothing but surfers there! We mainly hang out at the Rock Food Bar, which is a surfing institution, or Dick’s Sand Bar. For dancing, people like the Safari Club.
As for good places to stay… at Capbreton, not far from Hossegor, there’s a hotel called Cap Club. It’s modern but not overly expensive, with good service and a fine bar and restauarant. Also, a tip for newcomers: just walk into any surf shop and talk to the guys and you can find out which breaks are working. There are even webcams now, so you can see the waves before you leave the house.
biarritz address book
Restaurants + bars
Le Surfing
Grills, frites and fresh fish. 9 Boulevard du Prince de Galles, Biarritz Tel. +33 (0)5 59 24 78 72
Heteroclito
Modern French fusion food. 48 Chemin de la Plage, Guéthary Tel. +33 (0)5 59 54 98 92
Dick’s Sand Bar
Beachfront bar with music. 94 Place des Landais, Hossegor Tel. +33 (0)5 58 41 93 17
Rock Food Bar
Beachfront bar, serving fast food, with music including salsa, techno and rock. Place des Landais, Hossegor Tel. + 33 (0) 5 58 43 43 27
La Tantina de la Playa
Basque specialities and seafood. Plage du Centre, Bidart Tel. +33 (0)5 59 26 53 56
Camping + low-cost hotels
Camping is a cheap option and every coastal town has a site. Prices start at ¤8 per person per night. For a cheap hotel, try:
Cap Club Hotel
85 Avenue Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny Capbreton Tel. +33 (0)5 58 41 80 00 www.capclubhotel.com
Surf schools
Ecole de Surf
6 Allée de l’Orée du Lac, Biarrtiz Tel. +33 (0)5 59 41 11 18 www.ecole-de-surf-biarritz.fr
Lagoondy Surf Camp
Surf school and campsite in Bidart. Tel. +33 (0)5 59 24 62 86 www.lagoondy.com
Taking your surfboard! It’s easy and cheap to take your own surfboard when you fly Sterling. Just check it in to special baggage. Prices per individual flight for a surfboard up to 30kg is ¤24. If the weight of your equipment exceeds 30kg, an extra charge will be made.
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